Are you planning your first Disney trip? Figuring out all the little details can be so overwhelming! Disney vacations can be magical, but it takes the right mix of planning and going with the flow. Read on to discover the best ways to ensure your first trip to Disney World is as magical as you dreamed it would be.
1. Accept That You Can’t Do Everything
If you’re a first timer, it can be hard to wrap your head around the scope of the Walt Disney World Resorts & Theme Parks. Essentially, the Disney World property is twice the size of Manhattan. Disney encompasses four theme parks, two water parks, 25 resorts, multiple golf courses, a couple spas, and Disney Springs – a massive shopping and dining destination.
Try as you might, it won’t be possible to see everything in a typical vacation. And accepting that reality is the first step in designing the Disney vacation of your dreams.
2. Pace Yourself for a Happier First Disney Trip
So…you accept that you can’t do it all, but you still want to try? Just know that trying to do too much is the biggest mistake most first-time visitors report making. One of the best things you can do is plan as though you’ll return in the future. Design the best trip for the ages and activity level of your party now, and put everything else on a wish list for a future trip.
Whether you decide to return to Disney again in the future is beside the point – you need to give yourself the freedom to make tough decisions. And with thousands of choices you could make, it’s important not to get paralyzed by the wealth of options. There is no one right way to do Disney. Matching your trip to your families’ needs is the best choice you can make.
3. Expect Long Lines and Have a Plan to Minimize Your Wait
Disney World is prepared for big crowds and takes many steps to manage them. Check out crowd calendars for the time of year you’ll be visiting and make sure you tweak your touring plans to accommodate. You can check out my post on How to Create a Disney World Touring Plan for advice, or use one of my suggested touring plans on the Disney Parks Daily Itinerary Roundup page as a jumping off point.
4. Book Table Service Dining Reservations in Advance
This is a tough one for families that prefer to go with the flow. It can feel ridiculous to be booking restaurant reservations 6 months in advance when you’re not even sure which park you want to visit that day, let alone what you may feel like eating. But for the most popular restaurants, booking early is essential for getting a reservation.
Thankfully, reservations can be cancelled and modified for most dining locations up until the day beforehand. If there’s a restaurant you’re dying to try, book it early. And if you’re planning multiple sit-down meals, I advise erring on the side of overbooking. It’s easier to make six dining reservations you’d be happy with and then drop two once FastPass+ reservations are finalized and you firm up your park day schedules, than it is to book two dining reservations and try to add more later. While you’ll typically find something available, the prime times and most popular locations will be gone.
5. Make FastPass+ Reservations As Soon As Possible
It’s totally fine to adjust your plans day of, but definitely book FastPass+ reservations for popular rides you think you might enjoy for each of your park days. Why wait in the regular lines if you can ensure an easier experience for the rides or experiences that matter most to you? Perhaps you want to ensure your kids meet their favorite characters, or you want to do a bunch of thrill rides. Whatever type of trip you desire, learning the ins and outs of the FastPass+ system in advance will make your trip better.
6. Download the My Disney Experience App Before Your First Disney Vacation
Disney continues to increase the functionality of the My Disney Experience app. Download the app to your phone or tablet before your trip and play around with it a bit. You can use the app for everything from ordering quick service food at select dining locations, to making new FastPass+ reservations and checking bus times. Knowing the information available in the app will make your in park experience much more seamless.
7. Think Through Your Shopping Strategy
The Disney Parks are full of opportunities to buy all sorts of cool merchandise. It’s very easy to blow your budget if you don’t plan ahead! Interested in bringing home something different? Check out our list of 15 Unique Disney World Souvenirs for some ideas. We have silhouettes made of each child on their first trip. They’re an affordable gift for grandparents and we love having a gallery on our wall that doesn’t overtly scream Disney.
Are your kids old enough to pick out their own souvenirs? Set a budget in advance and talk with them about when you’ll shop. We avoid the stores with our little ones on park days, but allocate some time in the big Disney store at Disney Springs towards the end of our trip for them to pick out something special.
8. Leave Room to be Spontaneous
Yes, really! As much as I emphasize the importance of planning, that planning done right gives you room in your schedule. Guard that margin of time. Flexibility allows you to park hop if Magic Kingdom is more crowded than you anticipated, or if your kids loved Animal Kingdom so much you decide to go back for an extra day.
When you’re tied to a minute by minute schedule, your stress level is bound to increase. If it’s hot out and your child wants to spend the morning splashing around at the Casey Junior Splash ‘N’ Soak Station or loves the Move It! Shake! Dance Party so much that you choose to watch it four times in one day, those are the memories you’ll look back on fondly. Not the ones where you dragged an overtired toddler onto eighteen rides over 10 hours.
9. Splurge on Memory Maker
Especially for your first trip, I highly recommend you get Memory Maker. Read my Disney’s Memory Maker and PhotoPass Review to learn more. Just want the highlights? It’s a great way to make sure you get family photos with everyone in them. And the on ride photos and Magic Shots are a huge hit with kids and add an element of fun to your vacation albums. Plus, there’s a discount for purchasing in advance of your trip. And we’ve found that when we pay up front, we’re more likely to make sure we utilize it and get our money’s worth.
Looking for help planning your First Disney Trip?
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